Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dekcatta’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Dekcatta’, characterized by its relatively small semi-double type inflorescences with light purple-colored quilled ray florets; strong and upright flowering stems; short response time; uniform and freely flowering habit; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DEKCATTA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dekcatta’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-flowering cut Chrysanthemum plants with semi-double inflorescences with quilled ray florets, strong flowering stems, short response time and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands in May, 2007, of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 04.42081.03, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 05.39491.01, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands in November, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands since December, 2007 has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dekcatta’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dekcatta’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Relatively small semi-double type inflorescences with light         purple-colored quilled ray florets.     -   2. Strong and upright flowering stems.     -   3. Short response time.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Excellent postproduction longevity; plants maintain good         substance for about 26 days in an interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have more         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are less vigorous than plants         of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about 15 days earlier         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller inflorescences         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are darker in         color than ray florets of plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Dekmaki’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/799,433. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Dekmaki’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not as vigorous as         plants of ‘Dekmaki’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about two days later         than plants of ‘Dekmaki’.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Dekmaki’ differed in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Dekmaki’ had white-colored ray         florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Dekcatta’ grown as a spray-type.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises close-up views of the upper (top of the photograph) and lower surfaces (bottom of the photograph) of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘Dekcatta’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter in ground beds in a glass-covered greenhouse in Hensbroek, The Netherlands and under commercial cut Chrysanthemum cultural practices. Plants were initially given two weeks of long day/short night treatments followed by short day/long night treatments to induce flower initiation and development. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 22° C. and light levels were about 7,000 lux. Plants were 7.5 weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Dekcatta’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number             04.42081.03, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number             05.39491.01, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four days at 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 13 days             at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 15 days             at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance and growth habit.—Herbaceous semi-double type cut             flower that is typically grown as a spray-type; moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong.             Length: About 60 cm. Stem diameter: About 4 mm. Spray             diameter: About 18 cm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm to             2.5 cm. Texture: Finely pubescent; longitudinally ridged.             Color: Close to 146B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 5 cm to 9 cm. Width: About 3 cm to 4 cm. Apex:             Cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed,             serrate; sinuses parallel to divergent. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent, slightly rough; veins prominent             on lower surface. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate.             Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 146B to 146C. Fully developed leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 146C. Petiole:             Length: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly rough. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146B to 146C. Color, lower surface:             Close to 146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Semi-double type inflorescence form with quilled             ray florets and tubular disc florets; inflorescences borne             perpendicular to axillary laterals (peduncles); ray and disc             florets develop acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere; at other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness); uniform flowering habit and             short response time, plants exposed to two weeks of long             day/short night conditions after planting followed by             photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about             37 days later when grown as a spray-type.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Excellent postproduction             longevity; in an interior environment, inflorescences and             foliage will maintain good color and substance for about 26             days; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit; when             grown as a spray type, about 40 inflorescences develop.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle height:             About 3 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 5 mm. Receptacle             color: Close to 145A.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Flattened spherical. Height:             About 3 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm to 5 mm. Color: Close to             147D and 150D.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Width: About 2 mm to             3 mm. Shape: Quilled to spatulate. Apex: Emarginate to             tri-dentate. Base: Fused into a narrow tube. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.             Number per inflorescence: About 75 arranged in about three             whorls. Aspect: About 45° from horizontal. Color: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 76B to 76C. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 76C. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 76B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 76C to             76D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Fused tubular, erect and elongated.             Apex: Dentate. Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Number per inflorescence: About 225 massed at the center of             the receptacle in numerous whorls. Color, when opening:             Apex: Close to 145A. Mid-section: Close to 12B. Base: Close             to 145D. Color, fully opened: Apex and mid-section: Close to             9B. Base: Close to 145D.         -   Involucral bracts.—Length: About 4 mm to 8 mm. Width: About             1 mm to 4 mm. Shape: Oval-shaped. Apex: Rounded. Base:             Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number per inflorescence:             About 30 arranged in about two to three whorls. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 5 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About             6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm to 2 mm. Strength: Moderately             strong. Angle: About 30° from the flowering stem axis.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Present on both ray and disc florets. Style length: About             4 mm. Style color: Greenish yellow. Stigma color: Close to             13B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dekcatta’ as illustrated and described. 